The trial, being carried out by Shropshire Council’s highways team, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water, will involve erecting the flood defence wall across the road and deploying pumping equipment.

The road will be closed for the duration of the trial which will start at 10pm and take up to four hours to complete. A road diversion signing scheme will be in place and staff will be on duty to aid motorists and pedestrians.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said:

“It’s important that we carry out this trial to ensure that everyone is ready if there is a need to put these barriers up. They help protect a number of homes and businesses in this area and are vital to keep the town moving when the river level rises.”

Mansel Williams, Shropshire Councillor for Belle Vue, said:

“I’m aware that the flood defence trial at Reabridge/Coleham Head will cause inconvenience to some residents, but the testing and trialling of such a flood defence system is an absolute necessity, to ensure that if a future flood event occurs that all the teams from Shropshire Council, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water are fully co-ordinated, that the physical barriers are correctly embedded, and that the pumps etc are properly laid at all the strategic locations. Such preparatory training can only be achieved by a trial such as this.”